Growers confirmed yesterday they have withdrawn their bid to buy the McCain factory. They are currently considering their options for a grower-owned food processing facility in the region. “We are losing food growers and processing plants across the country, and every closure makes it harder to feed ourselves from what we grow here. If we want local food production, food security and resilience, we have to be willing to intervene to protect strategic assets like the McCain facility.” Questions need to be asked whether this is anti-competitive behaviour used to stop it being sold as a viable processing facility.”